The King, the Knight & the Servant
by ForeverShipping173
Summary: Gwaine accompanies Merlin on a trip to Ealdor but they're attacked and Merlin gets kidnapped. Gwaine goes to look for him and when Arthur learns of their disappearance, he races off to find them.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N; So I've had about three different ideas for stories but the others are short and this will be a long story, so I'm going to do the great task of doing all three at once for all of you:) Please review and tell me what you think:) **

**Summary; Gwaine accompanies Merlin on a trip to Ealdor but they're attacked and Merlin gets kidnapped. Gwaine goes to look for him and when Arthur learns of their disappearance, he races off to find them. **

**Disclaimer; I don't own Merlin.**

"You didn't have to come Gwaine", Merlin joked after about the twentieth time this hour the knight had moaned about being hungry.

"Nonsense. Not going to miss my chance of meeting Mummy Merlin, anyway it's not like Arthur or I would let you travel through bandit infested lands alone. Still, it might be quite nice to bump into a bandit, they might have some food," Gwaine replied smiling.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked. Now he was interested.

Had the King actually been concerned enough for Merlin's safety he made a knight accompany him on a visit home? Obviously, he was more than capable of protecting himself with his magic, but as Arthur didn't know that and just saw him as a servant who couldn't fight, it was a touching gesture.

"I was already packing and he came in to tell me to go with you. Have to say, he looked a bit too happy when I said I was already going. You know princess, he likes knowing you're safe."

Merlin chuckled.

"So I suppose that means you're my protector for this trip" Merlin stated teasingly.

"Well yes, I suppose it does." Gwaine agreed.

"And Gwaine, please do me one favour?" Merlin said seriously.

"What?"

"Don't chat up my mother."

Gwaine just laughed.

"Do you have such little faith in me Merlin?"

Merlin gave him a joking "are-you-being-serious-look."

Gwaine laughed.

"I'm hurt Merlin. Truly."

The two friends continued to laugh and joke the rest of the journey, completely unaware they were being watched.

* * *

"Is that him?" a rough, cold voice spoke out.

"No, that's a knight. We're not interested in him, just kill him on the spot. It's the servant we want, alive."

"Surely a knight would know more than a mere servant?"

The man gave a sickening happy smile.

"Yes, but you forget that knights are trained in dealing with torture and can withstand it without giving any information away. 'Mere' servants, are not."

The two men laughed as they sharpened their swords.

* * *

"Merlin, what are you doing? Arthur's not here, you don't need to serve."

"It's a habit I guess." Merlin smiled. "I'll go feed the horses."

Gwaine nodded.

Merlin did so much, he only wished Arthur would appreciate him a bit more.

The boy had been a loyal friend to the knight from the very first day they met, he was lucky to have him.

He was about to stand up to go help him when he heard a twig snap from the opposite direction Merlin went in.

He knew this was hotspot for bandits so reached for the hilt of his sword and cautiously walked forward.

At least he didn't have to worry about making sure Merlin was safe, he wasn't here.

But Gwaine heard more footsteps approaching and was starting to feel outnumbered.

He spun his sword around and took a deep breath.

It was well prepared as a moment after that, a man ran out charging at the Knight with his sword.

Gwaine couldn't help thinking he was much more skilful with a sword than just a regular bandit but he couldn't match up to Gwaine and he ran his sword through the man.

But he was sure he had heard more than one person hiding in the bushes, so why had just one man ran out?

And surely Merlin would have heard swords clashing and he would of come running to try assist Gwaine like the loyal friend he was?

Too much things weren't making sense and Gwaine didn't like where it was leading to.

He started to walk towards where the horses had been tied but wasn't prepared for what was in front of him.

Merlin's jacket was on the ground, covered in blood, but there was no sign of the actual man.

"Merlin!" Gwaine shouted in panic.

He spent the next 5 minutes shouting the man's name and walking around the area.

The footsteps had gone, but so had Merlin, the only thing left of him was his blood.

There was no time to lose. Gwaine got on his horse and raced off to find his friend.

He would find Merlin and bring him back to Camelot safely.

Gwaine didn't know where to start, but one thing he did know was whoever had done this for whatever reason would pay for hurting his friend.

* * *

**A/N; There you go:) Hope you enjoyed and please review:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N; Wow! 20 followers for just the first chapter, thank you so much! And thank you to the people who reviewed and favourited as well:) Here is chapter 2 of "The King, the Knight & the Servant", as always, review what you think:)**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Merlin or the characters.**

* * *

The first thing Merlin registered when he finally flickered his eyes open was pain.

His head felt like he was recovering from all the hangovers Gwaine had ever had in his life before at once and there was something warm and sickly running down his face.

His first natural instinct was obviously to put his hand on where he was wounded and was distressed when he couldn't seem to move his arm.

Had he broken it?

But how could he have, one minute he was feeding the horses and then..Oh.

He remembered hearing footsteps approach believing it was Gwaine but turned around and realised it was not his friend, but a man who looked in his late forties with a cold glance in his eyes and an emotionless face.

He then heard footsteps coming from behind him, and before he could turn around, something had hit his head. Hard.

Then he had woke up here with his head feeling like it had just been cracked open, repaired, then cracked open again just for the fun of it.

To his dismay, he realised his arms weren't broken but they were bound tightly behind his back.

_Great, _Merlin thought, _I've been kidnapped. Again. Lucky me._

Sarcasm dripped in the man's thoughts.

He was about to say a spell to release his wrists from the tight rope that was cutting into him but to his annoyance, it came out as a muffle. So his kidnappers had always gagged him. Gwaine's the one who needed gagged, not him.

_Gwaine._

_What had happened to him? Was he all-right? _

He had heard swords clashing before the man appeared but he was sure he didn't escape, there was no way Gwaine would of left him.

So did that mean he had been captured too? Or had he been killed?

_No._

Merlin quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind, he couldn't afford to think like that.

He didn't know the exact thought was going on in Gwaine's head at the same time.

* * *

Merlin couldn't have been dead, if they just wanted to kill him they would of left his body there, they wouldn't have went to the trouble of taking him with them.

But why would anyone want to kidnap Merlin?

It just didn't make sense, Merlin was the kindest most loyal person you would ever meet, Gwaine didn't think he had ever wronged anyone in his life.

That set chills down the brave Knight.

If it wasn't for personal reasons, they wanted something from him. And whatever it was, it wasn't good.

But they would also not get what they wanted, Gwaine would pick up the trail and find his friend before any harm came to him.

Well, apart from whatever they did to harm him before taking him.

Gwaine looked at the blood on the jacket Gwaine had taken with him and felt angry again.

Not only was Merlin a good, innocent person, he was Gwaine's friend and one thing Gwaine did apart from drinking his ale and flirting with attractive women was protect his friends. No matter what the consequences or dangers.

* * *

"Sire, there's been reports of bandit activity near the forest of Delhem, it is believed they are making their way to the village of Ealdor." Leon said to Arthur.

"Why would bandits want to go to Ealdor?" Arthur asked.

He had been there before, twice, and it was only a tiny village, what business would bandits have there?

"Perhaps they hope to just pass through to go into the bigger towns across the lakes from Ealdor?"

There was concern and worry written all over the knight's face.

"What's worrying you?" Arthur asked.

There had always been bandit activity in those areas though numbers were getting smaller as years went by, why was Leon so concerned now?

"The area they were sighted it is the same route Sir Gwaine and Merlin took a few days ago. We still haven't received word from them."

Arthur smiled lightly.

"Leon, you know as well as I despite his drunken ways, Sir Gwaine is a skilful knight. And well Merlin is Merlin, he's survived a dragon attack, I'm sure he can survive a few bandits with Gwaine's protection. They'll be fine, Gwaine will look out for them both."

"Of course Sire, you're right. I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you. But Leon?"

"Yes Sire?"

"Inform me when word does come in."

Leon smiled at his King and friend.

"Of course I will Arthur," he said before nodding his head and leaving the room.

Arthur knew Gwaine would make sure they were safe but still, it'd be comforting to know they were all-right. Better safe than sorry.

He was sure the word would come in tomorrow and went about his business in a normal, unworried way that would all change in the days to come.

* * *

**A/N; So, we got a bit of viewpoints from our King, our Knight and our Servant;) Thanks for reading, next chapter will be up as soon as possible:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N; Well, all I've got to say is thank you so much for all the follows, favourites and reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer; Sadly, I still don't own Merlin.**

* * *

"So then boy. Are you going to tell us about him?"

"Tell you about who?" Merlin replied harshly.

"The King of course."

"I have a question first. What have you done with my friend?"

"Friend?"

"The Knight I was with."

"Oh, him. He escaped. But that will soon be corrected."

"I really don't think it will." Merlin replied.

"Of course. Now tell us about Arthur Pendragon."

Merlin smiled.

"Well, he's a complete clotpole and dollop head but he is also my master and friend and there's no way on this earth I would give you any information about him."

The man smiled cruelly.

"Good. Just what I expected. Now this will be more fun for me."

The man took out a small dagger.

"We know you have magic boy. Don't even try it or your friends will suffer considerably. Maybe more than you're about to now. Not sure if that's possible though."

Merlin closed is eyes preparing for pain. He would do this for his friends.

For Arthur. For Gwaine.

* * *

"Sire, urgent news has just came in," Leon said as he rushed into Arthur's chambers.

"What is it?"

"A sentry was sent to Camelot with an arrow in his back. With a note addressed to you."

Arthur looked down sadly.

He cared about his people, he would make sure this sentry had a proper burial and his family were well cared for.

"What does the note say?"

Leon put his hand out but suddenly dropped it down.

"Arthur, you must not do anything rash when you see this."

"Give it to me Leon."

Leon nodded and gave him the note which Arthur unfolded.

_We're coming for you "your majesty". It's such a shame Knights are trained against torture in Camelot and servants are not. Especially the King's personal one. We will break him until he tells us every last detail about your precious kingdom. Sweet dreams "my lord."_

As soon as he read the note, Arthur's stomach dropped.

The words "torture", "servant", and "The King's personal one" put a fear through his body the brave King had never felt before.

Someone had captured Merlin and was intending on torturing him.

God. Merlin and torture should never have been in the same sentence, it just wasn't right.

Arthur could hear the murmur of Leon's voice but wasn't focusing properly, all he could think about was Merlin.

He wasn't just Arthur's servant, he was his friend and someone was planning on torturing him?!

The new feeling of intense anger came in with his fear.

The borders about Ealdor.

Arthur was only distinctly aware of Leon's shouting voice as he pushed past the Knight and out of his chambers.

He was in the castle courtyard asking a stable groom to prepare a horse before he had even realised he was running.

It was like time had slowed down, all he could hear was murmurs and all he could see was blurred visions from around him, the only thing his mind could process right now was one word.

Merlin.

He would find him and bring him back to Camelot and whoever had done this would be wishing to God they hadn't even been born.

* * *

It had been so long since Merlin had been taken and this trail was leading Gwaine nowhere.

He didn't understand why someone would wish any harm upon Merlin.

Why did they take a servant, and not a Knight?

Unless..Oh god. They were meaning to torture the boy and knew he wouldn't be able to withstand it.

But Merlin was loyal, more loyal than anyone he had ever met before.

He wouldn't tell them anything and eventually they would kill him.

Gwaine hated himself at this moment.

Why hadn't he done more to protect him?!

This was all his fault.

He was scared, more scared than he'd ever been in his life. Merlin, his first ever friend would be getting tortured and probably die soon.

He had to save him.

He had failed keeping him safe but he definitely wouldn't fail this.

He would rescue his friend no matter what.

* * *

**A/N; There you go:) Please review what you think:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N; Okay, so I never thought this would get such a good reaction but I'm so glad it is! Thank you so much for all the follows, favourites and especially all the lovely reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter:)**

**Disclaimer; Still don't own Merlin, it would have been brought back by now if I did. **

**And I forgot to say before, this is set just before Series 5.**

* * *

Was Gwaine dead?

There was no way Gwaine would just leave Merlin in danger, so when he was taken, the Knight must of been killed.

Arthur didn't think he had ever felt so much hatred for someone before for two reasons.

One, they didn't always get along but Gwaine was one of Arthur's most loyal and trusted friends, and he always managed to brighten up the situation.

Gwaine was one of the most skilful knights Arthur had ever met, if someone was able to kill him, what hope did Merlin have at these people's mercy?

And second, these people had taken Merlin, his best friend. He'd never admit that to anyone but himself, but Merlin was his best friend, like a brother to the King.

He was the most loyal, brave and kind-hearted person the King had ever met and someone was going to hurt him?

What gave these people the right to hurt other people's servants, other people's friends?!

Arthur wasn't sure what he would do when he found them. Run them through right there and then or take them back to Camelot and have a very public execution.

He wasn't sure the people of Camelot would approve of their King abandoning the kingdom to search for a servant, but for once in his life, Arthur honestly didn't care.

Merlin was worth more to him than his whole Kingdom and if this was another King of another Kingdom doing this so they could attack Camelot, Arthur was more than tempted to start a war just because of what they had done to him.

If they had done anything to him.

Maybe they weren't planning on torturing him, it was just a trap for Arthur to come so they could kill him.

So they had kidnapped Merlin just to get Arthur to come.

His anger intensified by the minute.

Had Merlin seen Gwaine's death?

He knew the men were close, Merlin would be haunted by it.

But what if Merlin was already dead too?

Arthur couldn't stop damn worrying, he was more than worried, he was scared.

And a scared and angry King makes a very dangerous enemy.

These people had many an enemy of Arthur and he wasn't letting them off lightly.

_Don't worry Merlin, I'm coming for you._

* * *

Gwaine was exhausted.

All he had done was search for Merlin with no rest.

Not only was he feeling genuinely scared about his friend's safety and guilty it was his fault, he knew Arthur would hate him.

It was no secret how much Arthur cared for the boy and Gwaine had just let it happen.

He didn't deserve to be a Knight. He didn't deserve to be Merlin's friend.

He had no idea where Merlin had been taken but he would find him, and when he did he would leave Camelot for good.

_I'm sorry Merlin, I really am._

* * *

When Merlin opened his eyes, he was surprised there was no pain, and his captor was walking out.

He was in quiet conversation with someone else and his back was facing Merlin.

Merlin noticed the small dagger the man had previously been holding was right next to him.

His arms and legs had been tied but he wasn't tied to anything so he could shuffle over and hopefully cut the ropes with the dagger.

That wasn't magic, his friends wouldn't "pay."

But it worried Merlin how they knew about his magic, not even Morgana knew that.

He would figure that out with Gaius later though, once he had escaped.

He placed his arms next to the dagger and started moving them back and forward in order to cut the rope.

Just when it felt it was about to split, his captor spoke to him again.

"You really think it will be that easy?" he said harshly.

He then punched Merlin full force in the face and re-tied his arms while Merlin was recovering from the blow. He picked up the dagger from the floor and began to walk out.

Merlin could taste blood in his mouth, he must of bit his lip when he had been hit, and his vision was blurry from it.

"Wait! At least tell me your name!" he shouted.

The man half turned around.

"My name is Calan. You may have heard of me."

Merlin felt a shiver going through his body as he tensed up.

He had heard of Calan. And if everything Gaius had told him was all true, he realised just how much trouble he was in.

_Gwaine, Arthur, please don't look for me. You can't help me, no-one can._

* * *

**A/N; There you go:) So more shall be revealed about Calan next chapter;) Hope you enjoyed, please review:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N; So like always, thank you for everyone reviewing, favouriting and following! Sorry I've been so long updating but I'm on holiday but today I re-watched "A servant of two masters" for about the hundredth time and remembered just how much I love caring and worried Arthur over Merlin so came back to this story. Enjoy:)**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

Arthur hadn't rested at all since he first went out looking for Merlin.

He had covered what should of been a day's journey in a few hours, and didn't intend on stopping.

There was no way he could rest with Merlin in so much danger.

Truthfully, after he reached the borders of Ealdor, he had no idea where to go.

The trail would probably be long gone by the time he got there, but he had to try.

He wouldn't give up on Merlin without a fight.

If he did, he would never forgive himself.

The situation reminded him of a few years back when Merlin was injured in battle and taken by bandits who Agravaine had betrayed him to.

Arthur had been injured and kidnapped himself many times but he wasn't nearly as scared for his own safety in those situations as he was for Merlin's when he had been taken.

Gwen had tried to convince him not to look for Merlin, she was worried too, but Arthur knew she couldn't deal with losing both Merlin and him.

But even Gwen, who could persuade Arthur into almost anything couldn't stop Arthur from searching for his manservant.

Life without Merlin was too difficult to comprehend so he had to at least try.

Besides, it was his fault.

Merlin had been in battle with Arthur many times before, even faced a dragon with him without getting hurt, so he supposed in a way, Arthur took for granted that Merlin was always defenceless and unprotected, with no armour or weapon.

He just didn't realise it was possible for Merlin to actually get injured by a man's hand as the only time he had was when he had been poisoned protecting Arthur many years ago, not long after they had met.

The only other time Merlin had been seriously injured was when he jumped in front of a Dorocha, to once again, protect Arthur.

But this time, Merlin's injury or yet to come injuries wasn't a result of a long-forgotten incident that happened many years ago or by sorcery.

It was by man this time, it would be by mans hand that torture would be inflicted on Arthur's brave, loyal best friend.

The word torture still made Arthur feel sick to the stomach and thinking of people who would inflict it on him made the familiar mood of rage arise in him again.

All those times Merlin had been seriously injured before was done protecting Arthur.

Maybe this time he had let himself be taken to protect Gwaine?

But Merlin had failed, Gwaine was dead.

Arthur couldn't mourn the Knight yet, he had to focus on making sure the same fate didn't come to Merlin, but if he did, well no, not if, _when _he did, and fully recovered, how would Merlin deal with finding out yet another one of his friends had died?

Merlin's life wasn't easy, Arthur knew that.

He didn't ask much about it, but he knew Merlin didn't fit in too well growing up, that was never a problem for Arthur, everyone adored him.

Well Arthur thought that at the time, it turned out they just adored his status, not him as a person.

Merlin was different.

He couldn't care less Arthur was King of Camelot, Merlin put him in his place whenever it needed to be done. He was the first person who Arthur knew actually liked him for who he was and didn't pretend around him.

He was his first real friend.

And still today, he is the main person he trusts and who's advice means the most to him.

Arthur just couldn't afford to lose him.

Maybe the reason Merlin always protected Arthur so much was because he had already lost two best friends, Will and Lancelot, and couldn't deal with losing another.

The knights were Arthur's friends, but Merlin was his brother, not by blood, but by friendship.

But did it matter?

Morgana was his own blood and she had turned against him without a second thought, Merlin, his friend, would always be loyal to him until the day he died.

The day he died.

If Arthur had anything to do with it, that would not be any time soon.

Arthur was snapped to attention by the sound of swords clashing.

He ran behind a bush to inspect if he had any business getting involved or if he should leave it because the people had no connections to him.

Fair enough, one of the men didn't, he had never seen him before in his life.

His opponent though, Arthur knew very well. It seems he couldn't get rid of him.

"Gwaine!" Arthur shouted.

So he was alive.

Relief flooded through his body.

Gwaine was one of the most irritating people Arthur had came across but he cared for him, he was a loyal and good Knight, and more than that, a friend.

Gwaine's unique fighting style soon won the fight and he had his sword pressed against his opponents, who was lying on the floor, chest.

"Princess." Gwaine gave a quick glance to Arthur then turned back to the man who was pinned on the ground.

"Who is this man Gwaine?"

"Came up behind me and tried to put a sword through my gut. Suppose he came to finish me off."

So this man was involved in the attack of Gwaine and Merlin, and was obviously sent for Gwaine, therefore knew where Merlin was.

"Where is my servant?" Arthur hissed looking down at the man.

"Exactly what I was about to ask." Gwaine commented, also in a threatening voice.

The man smirked.

"If I am to die, least I can do is pass on some information. You won't be seeing your servant again. He is the hands of Calan. And trust me, he has a lot of plans for the foolishly loyal idiot."

The name of Calan must have set the same rush of fear through Gwaine's body as it did to Arthur as Gwaine ran his sword through the man as soon as he was done speaking.

"You shouldn't have done that, you idiot! He could of told us where they were!" Arthur growled.

"You saw him Arthur, he was enjoying it. He wouldn't of told us anything, he knew he would die soon anyway."

Arthur knew Gwaine was right but was too angry and scared at the mention of Calan to admit it.

"He was right though Gwaine."

"About what?"

"If Calan has Merlin, even if we do find him, how long will he have left to live? It's been just more than a day, that's enough for Calan."

Calan was well known in Camelot.

Whenever a child wanted a horror story, their older brothers or drunk fathers spoke of him, the mothers furious when they found out.

Uther had gotten drunk at a festival one night and Arthur took the opportunity, asked about Calan whose name he had heard many times before, but had no idea who he was.

Uther had told him everything.

Calan used to be a member of the Catha, people trained in expert torture.

But he took it too far, he combined the darkest of magic with it.

His torture could end the life of a man in seconds, but Calan had the power to ensure they didn't and stayed awake for every moment of it.

Knowing how dangerous he was, Uther as a young man first starting out as King, rallied up half his army to kill him after reports he was heading to Camelot.

A day later, word came back they had all been tortured and killed, every single one of them, all by one man.

He then began to stalk the streets of Camelot by night, killing endless numbers of innocent men, woman and children, but never people of the actual importance as his father would say, himself and the lords and ladies of the court.

His reasoning had apparently been to bring down a Kingdom, you target the heart of it.

The people of it.

But then wars came, and Calan was assumed dead.

There had been no sightings of him since then and no mention, apart from now.

Merlin had no hope.

"So we give up just like that?" Gwaine snapped back.

"We wouldn't have been in this position in the first place if you had done your job right. I assigned you to protect Merlin and you failed. This is your fault."

The words came out too fast before Arthur could stop them.

"My fault?! I didn't know! I thought he was on the other side away from danger when I was fighting, but then I saw his blood. All I've done since then is look for him! Maybe you should of gone yourself if you wanted to protect him that badly, but other things were obviously more important."

It felt as if Gwaine had just struck Arthur a blow.

"I didn't think I would have to, I thought you would of done it yourself, but obviously not."

"All the times you've made him come with us with no armour. It's beginning to seem as if you want him to get hurt!"

"You think I wanted this?! I wanted Merlin in the hands of Calan?! You think I'm not absolutely terrified right now and would do anything for it to be me instead of Merlin in this position?! Merlin is one of the last people in this world that I would ever want to be hurt so hold your tongue."

The outburst put Gwaine aback.

Arthur never really spoke of how much he cared for Merlin out loud.

"I know..I'm sorry, it's not your fault. But we have to do something Arthur, I WILL do something even if it means my own death."

"I'm sorry too Gwaine, this isn't your fault. And I agree. No matter how powerful Calan is, he will pay for this, even if it's the last thing I ever do."

"Let's go then." Gwaine said in agreement, before getting on his horse and leaving.

Arthur quickly jumped on his own horse and followed.

_We're coming for you Merlin. No matter what._

* * *

**A/N; Hope you enjoyed and please remember to review:)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N; Like always, thank you to everyone who has shown an interest in this story in any way! **

**Disclaimer; I still don't own Merlin.**

* * *

When Merlin thought of the ways he wanted to die, it wasn't like this.

He didn't want to die tied up and gagged, after being tortured by the most feared man in the history of the Kingdom.

However, in a way he suppose he was dying in the way he wanted.

He had always wanted to die protecting Arthur and Camelot, and that's what he was doing.

No matter how much Calan hurt him, he would never reveal anything about his best friend or the Kingdom he ruled.

He remembered when Arthur, Gwen, Elyan and himself were all captured by Morgause and Cenred with the help of Morgana.

When Arthur knew he was about to be tortured, Merlin didn't understand why Arthur wasn't scared.

When he asked, Arthur said he wasn't scared because it wasn't going to happen as they were going to escape.

But Merlin couldn't share the same wishful thinking now as Arthur did in that situation.

He couldn't escape from Calan.

Even with all the power of his magic it would be hard, but he couldn't use it.

It made sense now why Calan knew Merlin had magic, more than that, he probably knew he was Emrys.

It was most likely he had heard one of the legends about Emrys and tortured one of the druids until they told him who he was and of his destiny with Arthur.

Now it also made sense how he knew no matter what, Merlin wouldn't dare use his magic to save himself when Calan threatened Merlin's friends.

He just hoped Arthur and the Knights wouldn't come looking for him, they would end up getting themselves killed too.

The rope that tied him was cutting into his skin, the cloth in his mouth that had been used to gag him was making it hard for Merlin to breathe, his head still ached from getting knocked out and his eye now throbbed from getting punched.

And Calan hadn't even started yet.

The torturer walked in with a malicious smile.

"Hello again Merlin. Or should I say Emrys. I have realised you may be planning on killing me with your magic then escaping. But I warn you boy, my magic is just as powerful as yours. Your name gives hope to people for the future, but mine gives horror from the past. They say hope always wins, so why am I still here?"

Merlin wasn't actually thinking of killing the man, even in self-defence he always thought murder should be the very last option.

But Calan was right, there was no point even thinking it now.

"If you're so powerful Calan, why don't you know enough about Arthur already? And I got told you target the people of the kingdom, not the ruler, so why do you want to know about Arthur?"

"Oh Emrys, I don't want to know about Arthur to personally target him. I still am targeting the people. I shall make sure all the information you pass on to me goes to the people. One by one, Arthur will find out of them having this knowledge, suspect them as traitors, and law is that traitors are executed. Before he realizes they came to this information without meaning to, nearly half of the people in the Kingdom will be dead. The other half will start to rebel about their wives, husbands, children, brothers, sisters, parents, friends, neighbours, so on's deaths. You can't have a Kingdom made out of dead and rebelling people, can you?"

"Arthur is kind to his people. He wouldn't execute one without giving them a fair trial, and they can explain how they got the information and it comes right back to you."

"I made it look like I was dead for years. You really think I'm not smart enough to make sure this has no way to come back to me?"

"Well they will explain where they got it from. Your plan won't work Calan."

"Aah, but it will. People will be taken out of their homes and told the information, and be forced to tell their family and friends this information. After my men are done with them, there's no way they will tell Arthur where they got the information from, not if they want to protect their family, they will lie saying they found it out themselves and deliberately looked for it so they could overthrow him. Oh, and the best part is, I have let Arthur know I have you and you will be giving me information, so it will all point back to you. You will die a traitor, but I suppose you already are, you are a sorcerer and the King's best friend. You're nothing but a lying rat, that's all you have ever been, and what you will die as."

Calan's speech put a wave of anger through Merlin's body.

He was not a traitor.

He used his magic to protect Arthur and Camelot, and Calan was speaking of it like Merlin used it the same way Calan did.

Merlin would never manipulate magic like that, it was people like Calan, Nimueh, Morgause and Morgana that made people hate magic out of fear.

Magic was not evil and nor was Merlin, he only used it to protect the people and things he cared about and to make beauty in the world.

Some sorcerers would never understand that, but Merlin did very well.

"I'm not a traitor now and I won't be when I die either, I won't tell you anything."

"Well, that's what makes this interesting," Calan smiled.

"Now we begin."

* * *

"I thought you were dead." Arthur stated simply.

"Like you could get rid of me that easily." Gwaine replied, forcing a smile.

"I got a note Gwaine."

"Thought it was a bit early for you to come looking for us. But guess you never know when it involves Merlin."

Arthur decided to ignore Gwaine's last comment and told him what the note said. He had read it so much times, he had memorized the sickening words.

Arthur recognized the fear then anger in Gwaine's face as the same expression Arthur had when he first read the note.

"I guessed it was to do with torture already, and knew it when that man told us it was Calan. But that note..It's not right Arthur."

"I know."

And he did know, because Gwaine had just said all Arthur had been thinking the past day in four words.

"We're about an hour away from where Merlin got taken. When we get there, what then?" Arthur asked.

"I came back because I realised I was following the wrong trail and decided to come this way. There's a few other trails there but only one I'm aware of that doesn't lead to a dead end. We'll go there."

"How far is it?"

"If we're following the right trail when we get there, a few hours ride to the end of it, with any luck, we'll have found Merlin by then."

"And what do we do when we find him Gwaine? I don't care about dying but if Calan kills us as soon as we get there, no-one will be able to help Merlin. "

"You're the King, they will come looking for you."

Arthur thought of a few years back when Gwen, Merlin and the Knights were attacked by a creature called the Lamia and Gwen left Arthur a personal trail so he could find them.

"We will help them with their search", Arthur said as he ripped a piece of his robe off and tied it around a tree.

"Okay then. I guess we're set. We have a good idea where Merln is and more people to help if anything happens to us. You ready to go princess?"

"You shouldn't be worrying about what will happen to us Gwaine. When we get there, Calan's time will come, even if I do it with my last dying breath."

"I'll give you a hand." Gwaine mumbled.

The two men then set off on probably the most dangerous mission they had ever been on. And it was all for Merlin.

* * *

**A/N; Please remember to review:)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N; I'm back:D I have realised by now it's probably a bit boring me thanking everyone who reviewed and all that so instead of doing it every chapter, I will say all my thanks at the end of this story, but please keep it coming, it means so much and you're all amazing:D**

**Disclaimer; You know it by now, I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

_A loud scream of pain echoed through the old ruins. _

_Merlin's scream._

_"I'm coming for you Merlin!" Arthur shouted, desperately hoping his friend would hear him._

_More screams._

_Calan knew Arthur was here and was torturing Merlin even more for it. _

_Arthur ran faster than he had ever ran before. _

_He wasn't running for his own life, he was running for Merlin's._

_But wasn't that the same thing?_

_Arthur would have no life without Merlin, he couldn't live without the man._

_He didn't even feel angry with himself for admitting this, he had known for a long time now that it was true._

_The screams got louder and more frequent._

_He must be getting closer._

_"Calan!" Arthur shouted into the cold air, "Face me! It's my Kingdom, not Merlin's, leave him alone!"_

_The only reply was another scream._

_Arthur desperately searched everywhere, up the long winding steps, behind the tall monuments, looking in every opening he passed._

_Eventually, he found him._

_But he wasn't as Arthur remembered._

_His face was bloodied and bruised, with a black eye, a burst lip, gashes all across his face. _

_His shirt was ripped in places, but there was no skin visible through the holes, only the sight of flesh._

_His ankle was twisted in an unnatural way and there was a large wound with a pool of blood around it coming from his leg._

_But that was nothing compared to Merlin's eyes._

_The kind and thoughtful expression you could normally find was gone._

_It was replaced by a wild look of uncontrollable fear and unblinking eyes._

_His body was completely still apart from a slow movement in his chest._

_Arthur was about to put his hand gently on the man's shoulder when Merlin jumped up then cried out in pain._

_"Don't move Merlin, you will make it worse. It's all-right now, I'm here. You're safe now."_

_Merlin grasped his hands around Arthur's throat._

_"Arthur, please make him stop, please, please, no, no, no, no, no"_

_That was the last thing he said before collapsing into a heap on the ground, now not even his chest rised, he was completely still._

_Merlin was dead._

"NO." Arthur shouted, jumping from the ground.

Gwaine stirred.

"What is it Arthur?"

Arthur's heart was beating rapidly.

"I..Merlin..he wanted me to stop him..he stopped breathing..he's dead..he can't be..Merlin.."

Gwaine looked genuinely concerned and walked over to the blonde King.

He put his hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"Arthur, it's sunrise, you were asleep. It was just a dream, that's all."

Arthur looked into Gwaine's eyes and saw truth in them and concern. He must of thought his King was going mad.

Arthur's pulse began to slow down again.

"A dream?" he asked, confused.

"Yes. You were dreaming Arthur."

Arthur thought back to the note where he first got notified about Merlin.

It said "Sweet Dreams".

Gwaine was right, it was just a dream.

But if they didn't act soon, it would become reality.

Arthur cleared his throat, mopped off the sweat coming down from his face and stood up, trying to gain his composure again.

"That's enough sleep. This is a new day, and I swear this is the day we will find Merlin and bring him back home."

He took control of the situation again and started to give Gwaine orders.

Arthur thought of his dream and winced.

That image of Merlin lying on the ground, broken physically and mentally, would haunt Arthur for a long time to come.

* * *

Gwaine had never seen Arthur in such a state before.

When he jumped up from his slumber, he looked like a mad man.

The only sense Gwaine could make of his explanation was the word "Merlin."

So Arthur dreamed about him too?

Which is why Gwaine kept watch while Arthur slept, when he was awake, he could push the thoughts of Merlin to the back of his mind, but at night, the horrible thoughts Gwaine had tried so hard to not think about came back with vengeance, infesting every little corner of the Knight's mind, as if it was it's prey.

Gwaine started to think Arthur was right.

They would find Merlin today and bring him home.

But if Merlin was still alive when this happened, well that was another matter entirely.

* * *

Merlin's dream that night was full of happiness.

Memories of his home, of his mother, happy and laughing.

The smell of cooking, the feeling of warmth and familiarity.

Memories of games he used to play with Will, two young boys thinking they could take on the world.

The smell of smoke coming from their campfire, the feeling of complete loyalty and trust.

Memories of Gaius and his home now, the old man helping Merlin try to find his place in the world.

The smell of medicine, the feeling of being able to be himself around his father figure.

Memories of Freya, someone who understood Merlin, someone so beautiful.

The smell of roses, the feeling of being in love, her soft lips.

Memories of his father, who gave him so much in such little time.

The smell of caves, the feeling of starting out a whole new adventure with the man he already accepted and loved as his father.

Memories of riding Kilgharrah, making the world seem beautiful.

The smell of the air, the feeling of flying.

Memories of the Knights, the people he could laugh with and share jokes.

The smell of ale, the feeling of being drunk and happy, shared with friends.

Memories of Gwen, one of his first friends in Camelot.

The smell of the marketplace, the feeling of finding someone who's kind heart made Merlin aspire to be better.

And memories of Arthur, his best friend, like a brother.

The smell of dirty old socks he had to wash, the feeling of caring so much about someone he was willing to do anything to protect them.

These things and these people made him happy.

There was no room for nightmares, he was already in one in reality, so why waste time on it on dreams.

The dreams were torture for Arthur and Gwaine.

For Merlin, it was escapism.

* * *

**A/N; Hope you enjoyed:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N; Hello! Sorry this has taken a while, I got back from holiday and was seeing friends again that I had missed, but now I have put my social life to one side and got devoured by Merlin and fanfiction again, yay:D And I have something that made me very happy today, I was watching Merlin, and my older brother who knows absolutely nothing about fandoms or shipping, came in, saw a scene with Merlin and Arthur in it and said "God, they're gay for each other, you can see they love each other", and that just made my day, thought I'd share it with you:D**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

"Arthur!" Gwaine shouted.

The King went over to see what the Knight had found.

"Look!"

Arthur looked down.

Footprints.

"What's that?" Arthur asked, looking confused at strange markings directly behind the footprints.

"Arthur..All the other times I have seen these markings on the ground, it's when someone was dragging something..or someone.."

This made Arthur even more angry.

Not only did they knock out the man and kidnap him, they drag him across the ground like a piece of meat?

Merlin was better than that, he deserved respect.

This was another thing to add to the list of things Arthur would make Calan pay for.

"How long does this lead?"

"Not long. We must be close." Gwaine replied, obviously as angry as Arthur.

Arthur hadn't actually thought of what he'd do when he got there, his only concern was Merlin.

Making sure Merlin was alive, making sure he was all-right, making sure he got back to Camelot, and making sure Calan suffered for this.

He would probably die, but if anyone was worth dying for, Merlin was.

* * *

There was things Gwaine wanted to ask and tell Arthur that he couldn't.

Did Arthur really blame him for this like he said?

And having to tell the King he swore to protect as a Knight, he was leaving Camelot and his duty, because this was his fault, and didn't deserve to be in a respected position with such loyal friendships and people all around him.

He hoped to God Merlin was still alive and not badly injured, he didn't know what he would do if any harm came to him anyway, but knowing that it was his fault..He wouldn't be able to cope.

He was sure Arthur wanted to be the one to pay Calan pay, but Gwaine would definitely make sure he had a big part in it too.

Alive or dead, he would avenge his friend.

And as they were so close to finding him, he would do it soon.

* * *

"For the last time sorcerer, I'll give you a chance. Tell me everything you know about Arthur before my fun really starts."

"Never."

Merlin gasped for air as Calan wrapped his hands around Merlin's throat.

"Then know you brought this upon yourself."

He kept one hand on Merlin's throat while reaching for his dagger.

"Fai este puñal ir máis fondo!"

He then stabbed the enchanted dagger into Merlin's leg.

He obviously wanted him to be alive, but to suffer.

But it didn't injure Merlin physically like he was preparing for.

Instead, it felt like his own mind was being carved open.

He felt something travel to the back of his mind, cutting down everything in it's way.

His dream of everything he found happy from before came to the very front of his mind, but this time it was different.

Everything was set on fire, his loved ones all screamed and cried, and no matter how much he tried to stop thinking of it, he thought of Will's, Freya's, Lancelot and his father's violent deaths.

He tried, so hard, to resist but whenever he tried, the dagger stabbed his mind again.

He felt pain again, but this time it was physical.

Calan had hit Merlin's chest with a mace.

The warlock promptly collapsed, but even then, the knife in his mind did not stop, travelling to every corner, reaching the very darkest places in his mind.

Even in his unconsciousness, Calan would not relent.

But either would Merlin.

There was two things Merlin was sure of.

One, Calan had finally started his torture.

Two, he would go through this for many days until he eventually withered and died, tied up, alone, and in pain, but as a man who was loyal to his King, and more importantly, his best friend, even under torture.

And that wasn't a bad thing to be remembered as.

* * *

**A/N; Not too sure about this chapter:/ Review and tell me what you think?:3 And I'll be busy the next few days, (it's my birthday tomorrow:D) so not sure how long it will take for me to update but I will do it as soon as I can:) See you then!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N; So for my birthday I got a Merlin signed poster and a Bradley James keyring, I love my parents:3 Btw, thank you for all the birthday messages! Said I wouldn't do this till the end but oh well, I can't help myself, thank you for everyone reviewing, following and favouriting!**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Merlin or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for this. (And maybe I can forget to give them back and take them home.)**

* * *

"Gwaine! Come here."

"What is it princess?"

"Look."

Gwaine looked down and saw what Arthur was holding in his hands.

A neckerchief.

Merlin's neckerchief.

"It must have fallen off when Calan took him here." Gwaine said.

"So you think this is it? We're here?" Arthur asked.

They had followed the trail Gwaine had spoken about and were now standing outside large ruins.

They looked exactly like the ones Arthur had dreamed about, which made him both hopeful and unsettled.

Hopeful because they might have found Merlin but the state they found him in his dream was something Arthur would never forget.

"Yes, but I am wondering why it isn't guarded."

"You think someone like Calan needs guards?" Arthur responded.

Gwaine walked ahead into the ruins, taking his sword out.

Arthur didn't like this at all, it was far too much like his dream for his liking.

What if this was just a dream as well, and they hadn't actually found Merlin?

No. It wasn't a dream, this was real, they were going to take Merlin back to Camelot and make Calan pay.

He put his servant's beloved neckerchief behind his belt making sure it held it securely, he knew how much Merlin loved it, he would give it back to him as soon as he could.

He took out his sword and followed Gwaine.

"Arthur. When we do find Merlin, what if it's.."

"Too late? I've considered that Gwaine. We take him back and give him a proper burial like he deserves. Calan pays for it even more. But he won't be. We'll have found him in time."

Arthur didn't know if he actually believed that or not but he had to say it out loud to reinforce in his mind the hope his best friend was alive.

"I was wrong about you Princess."

"About what?"

Arthur knew what Gwaine was doing, he was trying to take his mind off the fear of how Merlin would look when they found him. Arthur gladly welcomed the distraction.

"Before I came to Camelot, I thought all royalty cared about were themselves. Then I learned you did care about your men and people. But I never really understood how much you cared about Merlin until now. I'll be honest with you princess, there's been times I've resented the way you treat him. But a King ready to face the most dangerous torturer in history to save a servant? Have to say, I'm impressed."

Gwaine was right, a lot of people in the same position as him wouldn't have done anything, they would let their servant die. But that just wasn't an option for Arthur.

As much as self-defence was the first natural instinct for most people, making sure Merlin was safe was Arthur's.

Whenever they were attacked by something or someone in the forest, Arthur always made sure Merlin was all-right and the idiot hadn't gotten himself injured or killed.

"He's done a lot for me Gwaine." Arthur simply said.

"You and me both." Gwaine nodded in agreement.

"Why did you hate royalty?" Arthur asked.

Gwaine was about to answer until Arthur suddenly stopped him.

"You ask me a question then-"

"Shut up Gwaine! Listen!"

It was then Gwaine heard a quiet gasp of pain.

"Merlin." Gwaine stated.

But Arthur wasn't listening and already ran past the Knight and towards the noise.

_He was still alive._

As Arthur ran, the gaps got more frequent and louder.

Merlin was obviously trying to not show pain but couldn't help the sounds of pain escaping from his mouth.

Merlin wasn't one to talk about or show pain, so what the hell was Calan doing to him?!

He felt someone roughly pull at his shoulder.

Gwaine dragged him back and pushed him behind a large statue.

"Gwaine?!"

"Your turn to look." Gwaine whispered.

Arthur looked round cautiously and saw Calan leaving in the opposite direction.

Arthur and Gwaine waited until he was out of view and quickly ran to where Calan had just left.

It was there they saw Merlin.

He was tied up, barely conscious, with hand-like made bruises on his neck, a black eye, a large wound on his chest and multiple stab wounds on his leg.

_But he was alive._

Arthur and Gwaine both ran to him.

Gwaine untied him while Arthur put his hand on Merlin's arm and spoke to him.

"Merlin. It's Arthur. And Gwaine. It's okay, we're here now, you're safe now."

Arthur kept muttering "you're safe now", but it was more for his benefit than Merlin's.

He quickly checked his chest wound.

It was bad and was obviously causing Merlin a lot of pain.

He was about to lift the man onto his shoulders while he heard footsteps behind him.

Him and Gwaine both spun round.

Calan walked in with an amused expression on his face.

"You thought it would that be easy?" he laughed.

They were trapped.

* * *

**A/N; So do you hate me for ending the chapter like that?;) Hehe, I'll update next as soon as possible, remember to review:)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N; Since I left you with an evil cliffhanger, I won't say much, I'll just let you continue reading;)**

**Disclaimer; No, I don't own Merlin.**

* * *

"Let them go Calan." Arthur said dangerously.

"And why would I do that?"

"Your quarrel has always been with Camelot, and I am the King, therefore I am the one you want, these men have done nothing."

He stepped in front of Merlin who seemed to be falling into unconsciousness and Gwaine protectively.

"Leave them alone."

Calan smiled.

"Isn't a bit late to leave Merlin alone?" he asked.

Gwaine ran forward in anger at this about to attack the man practically gloating at hurting Merlin, but before his weapon could reach him, Calan uttered a spell that sent him crashing back into a stone before passing out.

"Stop this!" Arthur shouted.

Calan laughed again and was about to do the same to Arthur as he had just done to Gwaine until shouts of "Arthur" could be heard.

"Aah, you have brought more people?" Calan said, clearly amused.

Arthur was genuinely confused, he didn't even stop to tell anyone where he was going, he just set off to find Merlin as soon as he got the note.

He was sure no-one had followed him.

Suddenly, Leon, Elyan and Percival all rushed in.

As Calan turned his back to face the new arrivals, Arthur took his chance and ran forward and ran his sword through the sorcerer.

But killing him wasn't enough, this man had hurt Merlin. Badly. That chest wound was bad, Merlin could die.

Arthur clenched his fist and hit Calan with the hardest blow he had ever given anyone and he watched as Calan fell from both the punch and the wound where blood was streaming out.

Calan started to utter a spell to throw back everyone around him but Merlin saw what he was about to do and quickly used his magic to make a rock next to Calan fall and crush him.

The power it took to use his magic to save his friends was finally too much for Merlin, and he stopped fighting unconsciousness and let himself fall into the darkness.

Calan was screaming out in pain, the rock had obviously fallen onto his stab wound.

Arthur knelt down beside him and pulled his head up by his collar in his hand harshly.

"No-one hurts my friends and gets away with it. Especially Merlin. Got it?" he whispered menacingly.

He then released him, causing his head to thump down into the ground.

"You think Merlin is so loyal-" Calan gasped.

"He is." Arthur said, still seething from anger.

Calan was obviously in pain.

He deserved it for what he had done to Merlin alone, never mind the countless others he tortured and killed.

"Really? Your beloved "friend" has-" Calan started out but his body failed him, and his eyes closed before he could utter out the final word.

"Gwaine!" Arthur heard Percival shout with pain in his voice.

He had obviously just noticed Gwaine's unconscious figure on the ground.

He watched the large man run over to him.

This brought Arthur back to reality and he ran over to Merlin.

He was unconscious.

"You're going to be all-right Merlin. I swear." Arthur whispered.

Leon came over to the men.

"Why are you here?" Arthur asked.

"You, Merlin and Gwaine are our friends too Arthur. We wanted to help."

Arthur smiled gratefully.

If it wasn't for their arrival which distracted Calan and that rock (how had that even happened?) all three of them would be dead.

"We have to get Merlin and Gwaine back to Camelot Sire." Elyan stated.

Arthur quickly lifted Merlin onto his shoulder, careful to not hurt the man even more by rubbing off on his injuries.

Percival lifted Gwaine off the ground and the King and his Knights, with his beloved manservant in tow set off, there was no time to lose.

Arthur just prayed to God they weren't too late.

* * *

**A/N; So I know the whole thing with Calan wasn't very impressive but I wanted the main point of this to be Arthur worried/protective/saving his best friend, so focused more on that. Next chapter will be the last, please review:)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N; So right now, I'm lying in bed with my laptop at 2am typing this, because I tried to sleep but the plot bunnies would just not leave me alone for this final chapter and the next two stories I plan on writing, but more details and all my final thanks and comments at the end!**

**Disclaimer; For the last time on this story, I do not own Merlin.**

* * *

The ride back to Camelot seemed like a very long one.

In truth, it was quite short as all the Knights and Arthur rode back probably the fastest they ever had.

But they had no time to lose, and Arthur was reminded of that detail by a certain unconscious manservant who was in front of Arthur on his horse.

The whole ride, Arthur was hoping Merlin would wake up, but he never did.

But he looked in pain when they first found him, so maybe it was for the best he wasn't awake to feel it.

Similarly to when Arthur first left on the mission to find his abducted servant, which even though it was only a few days ago yet it seemed like years, when he got in the castle courtyard, everything became muted and blurry.

Gasps of shock as witnesses saw the servant and knight's unconscious figures, Arthur gently taking Merlin off the horse and carrying him up to Gaius' chambers as Percival did with Gwaine, the flash of fear and concern that went through the old physician's eyes when Arthur put Merlin down on the table, Gaius quickly moving around, gathering what he needed, instructing Leon and Elyan to get water and blankets.

To Arthur, it all happened around him in a blur, once again the only thing he was focusing on was Merlin.

It was only after Gaius shook his arm, he realised the old man had been calling his name.

"Arthur, I need some space to work."

This was meant to be Arthur's cue to leave and let the physician do his work but there was no way he was leaving Merlin now. He didn't even know if he would let him out of his sight after this.

Instead, he took a step back next to Percival and Gwaine who Percival had laid down on the floor.

Leon and Elyan came rushing back in with what Gaius had asked them for and all Arthur could do was watch while Gaius tended to Merlin's chest injury.

"We need to give Merlin space. Percival, take Gwaine to his chambers, Gaius will see to him when he is ready. Elyan, Arthur, let's go." Leon said.

Percival lifted Gwaine off the floor and carried him out of the door, following Leon and Elyan.

"Arthur?" Leon asked.

"I'm staying."

Leon looked like he was about to argue, but seeing the look on the King's face, he obviously thought better of it, and instead, just nodded and left with the other Knights.

"Will he be all-right Gaius?" Arthur asked urgently, secretly scared of the answer.

"I'm doing what I can for him Sire. The next few hours will be crucial."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Arthur, I know you want to stay but it isn't helping Merlin, it's only hindering my work. I need my space and concentration, please Sire. I promise I will notify you the moment anything changes."

Although Arthur desperately wanted to stay, if Gaius really could work better without him there, he had to leave.

Arthur took one last look at his manservant before leaving.

As soon as the King had left, Gaius looked down at his beloved ward.

"Weate parsai heale cham" he whispered, summoning all the power he had inside him.

He just hoped it was enough.

* * *

The first thing Gwaine noticed when he opened his eyes was Percival's concerned face staring at him.

"Gwaine, you're awake!"

Gwaine stayed lying down, trying to think what had happened before he replied.

He remembered feeling angry at something, and running forward, then pain.

Merlin looked in pain too-MERLIN.

Gwaine quickly jumped up but Percival stopped him.

"Gwaine, you must rest," Percival insisted.

"Where's Merlin?! Is he all-right?"

"We don't know anything yet but he's alive and Gaius is treating him as we speak."

"I must go see him!" Gwaine said, standing up too quickly, and as he was already feeling dizzy from his head injury, he fell back, but the bed was there to support him.

He didn't care if he felt like he was about to throw up the minute he got up, he had to see Merlin with his own eyes, to make sure he really was back home and alive.

"You'll be no use to Merlin if you faint the minute you go through. Gaius has enough to deal with, you can see him when he's done."

Gwaine just hoped Gaius would be done soon.

After failing Merlin so badly, he was definitely leaving.

He had to say his goodbyes to the man, he just prayed he would be the one leaving, and not Merlin.

Merlin's time on this world was definitely not over yet, Gwaine would make sure of that.

* * *

The next two hours was the most frightened Arthur had ever been.

Arthur waited outside Gaius's chambers when he left, and was just completely frozen in his own thoughts about Merlin for the last two hours.

Even when Guinevere ran forward and embraced him, he didn't say anything or do anything.

His worry over Merlin was controlling his state of mind and he didn't even notice when Gwen gently kissed his forehead, said she understood and left.

Eventually, Gaius opened the door.

Arthur stood up immediately.

"Well?"

"He's lost a lot of blood from his stab wounds and his chest wound had an infection but I've managed to close the wounds and fight the infection, and I've given him something for the pain. However, he still has a fever, it will probably pass by tomorrow but we must leave him to rest, but he should be fine."

Relief flooded through Arthur's body.

"Thank you Gaius. Can I see him?"

"When his fever has passed and he has rested."

"And when will that be?"

"Tomorrow. I recommend you getting some rest too Arthur."

Arthur nodded.

"I'll see you first thing tomorrow Gaius."

* * *

When Merlin woke, instead of feeling pain and discomfort, he felt the smell of home around him and blankets and pillows.

He couldn't feel any of his wounds, they seemed rather numb. Gaius must have given him something for the pain, thank lord.

Gaius!

Merlin was about to call out to his father figure before realising how dry his throat was and coughed instead.

This caught the physician's attention and he quickly came over to Merlin, handing him a glass.

"Drink this."

Merlin took it gratefully and smiled as the water went down his throat.

It felt amazing, when was the last time he had drunk?!

He quickly finished the whole glass as Gaius helped propped him up with pillows around him.

"Is that better?" Gaius asked.

"Much. Thank you."

"How do you feel? Are you in any pain?"

Merlin smiled and truthfully said no.

"I gave you some pain relief. You sustained a lot of injuries so I gave you a large dose, it will make you drowsy but the rest will help you recover. I changed your bandages just before you woke. Now what's the last thing you remember?"

Merlin thought back.

"Arthur, Gwaine and the other Knights arriving."

He froze.

"Are they all-right?!"

Merlin would never forgive himself if they got hurt because of him.

"Gwaine sustained a head injury but nothing too serious, everyone else was fine."

Just as he said that, there was a knock on the door and Arthur arrived.

A look of relief and a large smile came across his face when he saw Merlin sitting up, bandaged all around and bruised, but alive, safe, recovering, and smiling.

"Merlin! Are you all-right?" he asked as he walked towards his friend.

"I'm fine Arthur, I can't feel anything, Gaius made sure of that."

He gave a quick smile to the man then turned back to look at Arthur.

There was another knock on the door and Gwaine walked in.

"Merlin!" he said, the same expression on his face that Arthur just had.

"I'm glad you're all-right Merlin." Gwaine said.

"I have both of you to thank for that. So thank you. For coming."

"Well we weren't exactly going to leave you there!" Arthur retorted.

"But Merlin, mate..I'm sorry. I should of made sure you were safe. What happened to you was my fault. I'm going to leave Camelot-" Gwaine started to say, looking Merlin in the eye.

"No Gwaine! It was not your fault! There was nothing you could of done, and you're not leaving Camelot."

"But Merlin-"

"No." Merlin said sleepily.

Gwaine and Arthur panicked, thinking he was losing consciousness again.

"Gaius?" Arthur asked with concern in his voice.

"It's all-right, it's the pain relief I gave him, it's doing it's job."

Both men relaxed and turned back to Merlin.

"I agree with Merlin. Gwaine, this wasn't your fault and I should never of said it was, I was scared and worried. I didn't mean it. " Arthur admitted.

"You were scared for me?" Merlin smiled, almost asleep.

"You bet Princess was." Gwaine laughed.

"All-right, I was. Don't do that again Merlin." Arthur whispered.

Merlin laughed.

"I'll try not to. But have to say, I'm feeling quite popular right now, a Knight and a King at my bedside. To what do I owe this honour?" he joked.

"Well, Merlin. Every King and Knight needs their servant." Arthur said.

Merlin smiled.

He was right, they did need him.

But the past few days, Merlin had needed them.

He was lucky to have such good friends.

With that thought, he closed his eyes.

Hey, look on the bright side Merlin, he thought.

You won't have to wash Arthur's socks or pay Gwaine's drinking bill for at least a while.

Merlin smiled before going into a restful sleep.

* * *

**A/N; Wow! Okay, so can't believe I have actually finished! Right, now is my time to say, I never once expected this to get such a good reaction so thank you so much for everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited, you made all the effort worthwhile, you're amazing, all of you! But do me one last favour and review on this too?:3 And watch out for my next two stories which will be Gwaine!Whump with Caring!Percival, as requested by a reader (Yes, I take requests so feel free to PM me), and a Merlin in danger story with VERY protective!Arthur. Hope to see you then! Bye you amazing people, hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it!**


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